23 July 2014

Unite the Resistance “Organising to Win” conference, Saturday 15 November

Bloomsbury Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8EP

Hundreds of thousands of health workers struck on Monday 13 October for fair pay. Two days later civil service workers walked out.

These strikes sum up what austerity is all about.

While the Tories talk of recovery workers are still paying the price for the economic crisis – with low pay, a squeeze on living standards and a relentless attack on services.

But while the strikes and the TUC and STUC protests are impressive shows of our strength, the October week of action on pay would have been far stronger if local government unions had struck too.

We were also hobbled by anti-union laws which the employers used to stop UCU members striking. With health unions talking about further strikes in November we will soon have another chance to organise united action against the Tories.

That unity is even more important as Ukip and the Tories try harder to divide us.

The Unite the Resistance conference aims to bring together those who want to see unity against austerity, to support local strikes, and to oppose all scapegoating and attempts to divide our side.

Opening plenary: Strategies to win: How do we beat the austerity agenda?

12 noon-1.30pm

Matt Wrack, general secretary FBU

Billy Hayes, general secretary CWU

Jorel Ware, US McDonald’s worker

Helen Davies, Unison NEC (pc)

Adam Lambert, Unite convenor, St Mungo’s Broadway dispute

Mags Dalton, Care UK strike

Lee Jasper, BARAC

Anne Lemon, NUT NEC

Sean Vernell, joint secretary Unite the Resistance

Chair, Mandy Brown Lambeth College UCU

Workshop: The fight against zero hours contracts and organising the unorganised

2pm-3.15pm

Hosted by BFAWU

Ian Hodson, President BFAWU

Christina Paine, London Metropolitain University UCU

Bryan Kennedy, sacked One Housing Group Unite convenor

Flavia Cabral, US McDonald’s worker

Chair Nik Hughes, Hovis Wigan

Workshop: After the health strikes, where next for the fight to save the NHS?